Electromechanical copyholder and presenting device



G. DI PASQUALE ET AL 3,449,849

June 17, 1969 ELECTROMECHANICAL COPYHOLDER AND PRESENTING DEVICE ors Sheet Filed July 18, 1966 Ri l INVENTORS Gav/5 D/ PHSQUALE P5 75!? R052 BY $6M} ATTORNEY June 17, 1969 Dl PASQUALE ET AL 3,449,849

ELECTROMECHANICAL COPYHOLDER AND PRESENTING DEVICE Filed July 18, 1966 Sheet 2 of s TYPICAL LINE OF COPY I6 INVENTORS 62w: 0: 2450mm F G. 3. P6775? R4752 ATTORNFY June 17, 1969 LE ET AL 3,449,849

ELECTROMECHANICAL COPYHOLDER AND PRESENTING DEVICE Filed July 18, 1966 Sheet 3 of s II? VOLT AC LINE ze I- INVENTORS GENE D1 PAS UALf PETER 85/52 ATTORNEY Uited States Patent Ofiice 3,449,849 Patented June 17, 1969 US. Cl. 40343 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An electromechanical copyholder is disclosed which includes a holder for lined printed textual material to be copied, a scale for indicating the spacing between the lines of textual material, an electric motor for advancing the material to be copied, an electroniccircuit for applying electric power to the motor for a period of time determined by the setting of a continuously variable control having an index thereon corresponding to the scale, and a device, such as a foo-t switch, for actuating the electronic circuit so that on each such actuation the electric motor is driven for a period of time sufficient to advance copy material under the scale a distance determined by the setting of the control.

The present intention relates to copyholders. More particularly, it relates to an electromechanical copyholder and line indicator which contains provision for continuous variations of the extent to which material being presented for copying is advanced on command of the user.

In accordance with the present invention, and electromechanical-copyholder comprises means for holding lined printed textual material to be copied, a scale for indicating the spacing between the lines of said textual material, an electrical motor-operated drive means for advancing the material to be copied, electronic means for applying on each actuation thereof electrical power to said electric motor :for a period of time determined by the setting of a continuously adjustable control member having an index thereon corresponding to said scale, and means for actuating said electronic circuit at the command of an operator, whereby on each actuation of said electronic circuit, said electric motor is driven for a period of time suflicient to advance copy material under said scale a distance determined by the setting of said control member.

The invention will be further described in connection with the accompanying drawings which are to be considered as exemplary of the invention and do not constitute a limitation thereof.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a copyholder in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view, partially in elevation and partially in a schematic manner, of the interior of the copyholder of FIG. 1 with the front panel removed;

FIG. 3 illustrates in detail the line scale shown in FIG. 1 in use with a typical piece of copy thereunder; and

FIG. 4 illustrates the electronic circuitry employed in the instant device.

The instant copyholder will be described in conjunction with a description of the manner of use thereof inasmuch as it is believed that it would be redundant and unnecessary to describe them separately.

The electronic and mechanical components are located within a housing 1, supported by a stand 2, which allows the housing 1 to be tilted to a convenient position desired by operator by loosening a pair of knurled knobs 3. The

copyholder is provided with a cover plate 4 which is held securely to the housing by screws 5.

A line cord 6 is plugged into a 117 A-C volt line, and a foot switch 7 is placed in a convenient location on the floor for the operator. A sheet of copy 8 (shown only in FIG. 3) is slipped onto the cover plate 4, between two vertical copy guides 9 and a horizontal guide 10*, and is moved upwardly until the sheet of copy 8 becomes engaged between a roller 11 and idler assemblies 12 located on an idler bar 13. The idler bar 13 holds the idler assemblies 12 firmly against the sheet of copy 8 and the roller 11 by virtue of the pressure applied thereto by a spring 14. The sheet of copy 8 is advanced by manually turning roller 11 using a knurled knob 15 at the end thereof until the base of the first line of characters to be copied 16 (shown in FIG. 3) is aligned with the top edge of an opaque straight edge 17 which is suspended slightly above the .cover plate 4. The base of succeeding line of characters to be copied 18 is then observed through a transparent line calibrator 19, centrally disposed in the straight edge. The number of the calibration line 20 even with the base of this line of characters 18 is then noted and dialed into a line spacing adjustor 21 located on the right side of the housing 1.

Electrical power to the copyholder is turned on by moving a toggle switch 22 to the on position. A pilot light 23 will then light, indicating that the copyholder is ready for operation. When it is desired to align the straight edge 17 automatically with the next line of characters to be copied 18, the foot switch 7 is momentarily depressed, triggering electronic circuitry on the printed circuit board 24 which is mounted on supports 25.

As shown in FIG. 4, the printed circuit board 24 contains an emitter-coupled monostable multivibrator. The monostable multivibrator remains in its stable state until it receives a trigger signal, when it makes the transition to its quasi-stable state.

This trigger signal is applied from a 1.5 volt battery 26, through a shielded cable 27 and germanium diode 28, into. the base of a transistor 29*. The transistor 29 is a germanium switching type which is normally in an OK condition with no collector current flowing, while a transistor 30, also a germanium switching type is in an on condition with collector current flowing. When the trigger signal is applied, the transistor 29 makes the transition from the off condition to the on condition. Resistors 31 and 32 form a voltage divider and aid in turning transistor 29 on when it goes into its quasi-stable mode. The emitters are coupled through resistor 33. During the transition, the voltage across resistor 34 suddenly drops, causing a negative pulse of voltage to appear across a capacitor 35, which triggers the base of transistor 30, forcing it to change to its quasi-stable o condition. Simultaneously, the voltage across a collector circuit resistor 36 suddenly rises, causing a positive pulse of volt age to appear across a voltage divider consisting of resistors 37 and 38. This voltage divider attenuates the applied positive voltage pulse and applies it to the base of a relay driver transistor 39 which now draws collector current through the relay coil 40 causing the relay contacts 41 to close, allowing 117 volt A-C power to be applied to a synchronous motor 42.

As shown in FIG. 2, the synchronous motor 42 turns at 12 r.p.m. in a counter-clockwise sense, as viewed from its shaft end, turning a gear 43, which is afiixed to the motor shaft. The gear 43 meshes with an idler gear 44, which in turn meshes with a gear 45 which is affixed to the shaft of the roller 11. Roller 11 is then turned in a sense which causes the sheet of copy 8 to advance at a uniform rate. The sheet of copy 8 continues to advance until the quasi-stable period of the monostable multivibrator, determined by the time constant of capacitor 35 and the combined series resistance of a trimmer potentiometer 46 and a line spacing adjustor potentiometer 47 which the operator controls by rotating the line spacing adjustor 21, is at an end. At this time the monostable multivibrator returns to its stable state, the relay driver transistor 39 and relay coil 40 cease to draw current and as a result the relay contacts 41 open, disconnecting the power from the synchronous motor 42, the roller 11 ceases turning, and the sheet of copy 8 stops advancing.

At this point the system awaits the next trigger signal from the operator. Each time this trigger signal is applied through foot switch 7 by the operator, the foregoing sequence of events is repeated.

Should the spacing between lines of copy change, the new spacing is observed through the transparent line calibrator 19 as before, and the number of this new calibration is dialed into the line spacing adjustor 21. Interpolation is possible, of course, inasmuch as the setting of the potentiometer 47 (which is adjusted by the spacing adjustor 21) is continuously variable. The longer the time constant controlled by line spacing adjustor 21 becomes, the longer the synchronous motor 41 revolves, and the greater the linear distance the sheet of copy 8 travels.

Power for the electronic circuitry is obtained from the power supply which consists of a diode 48, a surge-limiting resistor 49, a pair of filter capacitors 50, a filter resistor 51, a voltage-dropping resistor 52 and a bleeder resistor 53 which form a voltage divider from which the D-C voltage is derived. A 3 amp. fuse 54 is also provided as safety feature.

What is claimed is:

1. An electromechanical copyholder comprising means for holding lined printed textual material to be copied, a scale for indicating the spacing between the lines of said textual material, an electrical motor-operated drive means for advancing the material to be copied, electronic means for applying on each actuation thereof electrical power to said electric motor for a period of time determined by the setting of a continuously adjustable control member having an index thereon corresponding to said scale, and means for actuating said electronic circuit at the command of an operator, whereby on each actuation of said electronic circuit, said electric motor is driven for a period of time sufiicient to advance copy material under said scale a distance determined by the setting of said control memher.

2. An electromechanical copyholder as set forth in claim 1 in which said scale is transparent and is disposed within an opaque straight edge suspended above said means for holding material to be copied.

3. An electromechanical copyholder as set forth in claim 1 in which said electric motor is a synchronous motor.

4. An electromechanical copyholder as set forth in claim 3 in which the period of time for which said electric motor is driven is determined by the time constant of a resistorcapacitor combination.

5. An electromechanical copyholder as set forth in claim 4 in which the continuously adjustable control member is a potentiometer forming part of said resistor-capacitor time constant circuit.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,439,250 12/1922 MacDowell 40-343 2,737,156 3/1956 Denver 40343 2,949,886 8/1960 Tibbling 40343 3,126,648 3/1964 Strong et a1. 35.2

LAWRENCE CHARLES, Primary Examiner. 

